Why I did not defect to APC – Governor Aliyu

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Governor Babangida Aliyu of Niger State has given reasons why he did not defect to the All Progressives Congress, APC, alongside his colleagues in the G7 governors despite leading the group.

The G7 was a group of seven Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, governors who complained of the leadership style of the party’s former national chairman, Bamanga Tukur. Five of the governors later decamped to the APC in November 2013.

“I did not leave the PDP because of the confidence and perfect understanding that I have of the party, my conscience is always with the PDP,” Mr. Aliyu said.

The governor, who spoke on Wednesday when he led a PDP delegation from Niger State on a courtesy call to the party’s National Chairman, Ahmed Mu’azu, said that the PDP has no ‘owner’ because it belongs to all Nigerians. He said the party provides the best opportunity to meet the aspiration of the people.

“Some parties are synonymous with their owner that is why they fail to run, people will run away from the party and would not vote for it,” he said. “But the PDP is present in all the states of the federation, and all the wards and local governments.”

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Mr. Aliyu assured the party chairman of his loyalty; saying he only led the G7 to protest the leadership style of the time.

He said the PDP would win in Niger State and Nigeria in 2015. He told Mr. Mu’azu that God kept the chairman for the PDP otherwise he would not have lost an election after performing well as governor of Bauchi State. Mr. Mu’azu had lost a senatorial election in 2007 after his tenure as governor.

“Trials and tribulations were preparatory to some of the challenges you are going to face, success and failure is the greatest experience to a politician,” he said.

Mr. Aliyu said he believes Mr. Mu’azu is capable of running the party well because apart from his experience, he is the youngest National Chairman the party has ever had. The governor said the PDP has performed very well and he is confident of the party’s chances.

“I believe God is with us and with our new strategy, we should be able to convince Nigerians to vote for us once again,” he said.

Responding, Mr. Mu’azu said Niger State is one of the strongest pillars of the PDP in Nigeria.

He also commended Mr. Aliyu for his believe in the PDP and called on members of the party to emulate the qualities of the governor which he said will eventually pay off.

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“I have told the president very clearly that loyalty must be rewarded,” he said.

He solicited for advice from the delegates saying, “I expect at least a one page word of advice from you on how to move the party forward, because we do not claim monopoly of knowledge.”

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